Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Buffalo, NY

July 7, 1989Erie County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 7, 1989, 3:30 PM EDT for Erie County, New York. It was in force for 2 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 7, 1989, 3:30 PM EDT (19:30 UTC)
Expired
Jul 7, 1989, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Whole counties

County Erie County, NY

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 7, 3:35 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Erie, NY

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 20 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1989-07-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 637 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1989-07-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
637 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
836 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBUF 071938 RRA
SVRBUF
NYC029-072130-

BULLETIN  IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
330 PM EDT FRI JUL 7 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING NEW YORK
COUNTIES...

ERIE

AT 330 PM EDT HAIL THE SIZE OF A QUARTER OR ABOUT AN INCH
SIZE WAS REPORTED IN NORTH TONOWANDA. STRONG WINDS WERE ALSO REPORTED
WITH THE STORM. THE THUNDRRSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST ABOUT 15 MPH.

BE ON THE ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT LIGHTNING..
STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO CAUSE
DRAINAGE FLOODING.
IF THREATENING WEATHEyR APPROACHES GO TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY.
IN HOMES A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM IS THE SAFEST LOCATION.

REICH

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 7, 1:22 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER NY
115 PM EDT FRI JUL 07 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH  HEAVY RAIN HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE WESTERN
FINGER LAKES REGION...

AT 115 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS
HAVE DEVELOPED IN A LINE FROM SOUTHERN WAYNE COUNTY OF NEW YORK
THROUGH SENECA AND YATES COUNTIES.

VERY HEAVY RAINS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS.

THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND MAY CONTAIN
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES ...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY

HOULE
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 2:32 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER NY
230 PM EDT FRI JUL 07 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE IN SOUTHERN SENECA AND
YATES COUNTIES...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF
THE WESTERN FINGER LAKES REGION UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING...

THUNDERSTORMS IN YATES AND SENECA COUNTY MAY CONTAIN STRONG...GUSTY
WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL.  IF THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACHES...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

STORM SPOTTERS IN SENECA AND YATES COUNTIES HAVE REPORTED LIGHTNING AND
HEAVY RAIN IN THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE PAST HOUR...BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER.

ENGLISH
'
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 2:45 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
240 PM EDT JUL 7 1989]

DO NOT USE AFTER 4 PM

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 8PM EDT FOR PORTIONS OF
   THE FINGER LAKES REGION AND THE CENTRAL SOUTHERN TIER...

AT 230 PM...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER CAYUGA COUNTY
AND OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO 25 MILES EAST OF PETERBROUGH AND 15 MILES
SOUTH OF KINGSTON.  THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG WIND7S...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED PEOPLE IN THE EFFECTED AREAS SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER IN THE NEAREST BUILDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

DCB
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 2:48 PM EDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
240 PM EDT JUL 7 1989]

DO NOT USE AFTER 4 PM

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 8PM EDT FOR PORTIONS OF
   THE FINGER LAKES REGION AND THE CENTRAL SOUTHERN TIER...

AT 230 PM...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER CAYUGA COUNTY
AND OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO 25 MILES EAST OF PETERBROUGH AND 15 MILES
SOUTH OF KINGSTON.  THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG 8WINDS...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED PEOPLE IN THE EFFECTED AREAS SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER IN THE NEAREST BUILDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.
DCB
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 2:52 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
250 PM EDT JUL 7 1989]

DO NOT USE AFTER 330 PM EDT

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 8PM EDT FOR PORTIONS OF
   THE FINGER LAKES REGION AND THE CENTRAL SOUTHERN TIER...

AT 250 PM...BUFFALO WEATHER RADAR OBSERVED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN THE
NIAGARA FALLS AREA INCLUDING PART OF GRAND ISLAND NEW YORK AND
ONTARIO CANADA BETWEEN WELLAND...THOROLD AND THE FALLS.

THE THUNDERSTORM MAY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS PRODUCING LOCAL
POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
POSSIBLE HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPED DURING THE LAST HALF HOUR.

IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED PEOP<LE IN THE EFFECTED AREAS SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER IN THE NEAREST BUILDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

EGR
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:15 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
315 PM EDT JUL 7 1989]

DO NOT USE AFTER 340 PM EDT

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 8PM EDT FOR PORTIONS OF
   THE FINGER LAKES REGION AND THE CENTRAL SOUTHERN TIER...

AT 315 PM...BUFFALO WEATHER RADAR OBSERVED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM FROM
NIAGARA FALLS AREA INCLUDING PART OF GRAND ISLAND NEW YORK AND
PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ERIE AND SOUTHERN NIAGARA COUNTIES.

THE THUNDERSTORM MAY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS PRODUCING LOCAL
POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
POSSIBLE HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST ABPUT 15 MPH.

IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSE[RVED PEOPLE IN THE EFFECTED AREAS SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER IN THE NEAREST BUILDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

EGR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 7, 3:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFGenesee105 min
Jul 7, 6:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFAllegany60 min
Jul 7, 7:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFAllegany60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New York, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.